McConnell: Trump made ‘outstanding decision’ in nominating Gorsuch

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said President Trump made an “outstanding decision” in nominating Judge Neil Gorsuch for associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court.

“The president made an outstanding decision in his nomination of Judge Neil Gorsuch to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court,” McConnell said in a statement. “He has an impressive background and a long record of faithfully applying the law and the Constitution. Judge Gorsuch understands the invaluable contribution to the federal judiciary and our democratic government made by the justice he is succeeding.

Gorsuch replaces Justice Antonin Scalia, who died unexpectedly in February 2016.

“Like Justice Scalia, he understands the constitutional limits on the authority of a federal judge and that the duty of a judge is to apply the law even-handedly, without fear or favor, and not to rule based on one’s empathy with a party in a case,” McConnell said.

“When the Senate previously confirmed him to the appellate court, the bipartisan support in the Senate was so overwhelming, a roll call vote was not even required,” McConnell added. “I hope Members of the Senate will again show him fair consideration and respect the result of the recent election with an up-or-down vote on his nomination, just like the Senate treated the four first-term nominees of Presidents Clinton and Obama.”